Elevator-gate-control means



April 7, 1931. A. NELL I ELEVATOR GATE CONTROL MEANS Filed Aug. 5. 1929 NVENTOR ALBERT' N'LL ar Z kPatented Apr. `7, 19331 i .i

l, ALBERT NELL, oFsT. LOUIS, MISSOURI ELEvAToRLGATicoNT-Ror. MEANS f Application-filed Ag'st s, 1929'. serial No. staan.'

Myinvention relates to improvements inf f elevator mechanisms, particularly to means for controlling the movement of the'gate or A n door that is placed at each ofthe landing `stages of the elevator.

My invention relates' especially f te' such I gates that are commonly used for freight'elevator installations, andv has among its objects `theproduction ofa safety mechanism v therefor, which shallbe simple in operation and Construction, convenient, economicahreliable, and efficient and satisfactory for use wherever'found applicable;r y

The invention has for other objects, the production -of a device of the character described, in which the gate will be maintained in a locked position when the elevator is not adjacent the landing floor, but whenfthe elegate was left open .'orraised.-l ,f

Manyother obl'ects and advantages of the construction herein shown and' described, and Vuses mentioned, will be obvious to -those skilled in the art to Whichthis invention ap pertains, fromV the disclosures herein` given. In the drawings,.vvherein like rreference characters indicate like or, corresponding parts throughout th'e` views,y

Fig'l lis an elevational view yof my improved mechanism, asl seen frominside the elevator car; y l v I f Fig. 2 is a side elevationv ofthe same, with a part of the` co'unterweight pocket in crosssection; i

Fig. 3 is a similar viewto that shownin Fig. 2, buty with the latches held in position by the elevator car; .g

gate toward its loweredpositionas the ele-v vator leaves the particular floor at which the the gate can not be raised.

vFig.4 is a view of the mechanismshown .in

.Fig."2, but atI right anglesthereto; and` Fig. 5 is a 'cross-sectional view, showing ,the gate and the spring-controlled means-fon actuating the same downwardly vatorcar has-passed'the floor. y

Referring more particularly tothe drawings,'wherein'l have illustratedthe preferred f embodiment s of my invention, l indicates the floorat one of the landing stages ofthe elevator shaft,y the side Walls' of the shaft being indicated at 2.V Atg'each of the floory landings there is agate 3, of any suitable size and shape, preferably vertically slidable in al pair ofopposed guideways 4 in the sides 2,65

These gates-are counterweights with one f or more weights jand 6, arranged at theV sides ofvrthe gate, each of the counterweightsl travelling vertically in a pocket or opening 'Tin the side walls of the shaft, these counter- *70* i weights being securcdto the gate by the ropes l `or cables 8, passing over the pulleys 9. One

of these counterweights, as the weight 5, may f be provided with a series of ratchetteethl() along one face thereof, as shown and for a purpose tobehereinafter described.` f

.It vis `highly-desirable, and in' fact some municipalities specifically provide for lthe same by statute, that the gate at each floorbe locked against opening unless the elevator S0 carbe at that particular floor, and therefore vtoattain this end, and to prevent the acciff` .f dental closing yof the gate until the car passes the floor, l have inventedY the mechanism f about to be described. y

At each of the floors, l secure'a base memj f berll, upon which'is pivot-ally mounted a vlatch element 12, Lpreferably having aV bevelled end 13, with a downwardly extending' prong 14, defining a slot l5 adapted to reV ceive a suitable projection 16 provided on the gatel 3.V 'A slot y17 Vmay be formed in the Y wall of the well to receive and conceal the prong 14, as shown. VObviously, whe'n'the latch 1.2 is in the position shown inFig 2,

jA springlS normally urges the vlatch towardits locking position. A lever (as thebell-crank lever 19, is pivotally mounted at 2O on the base 1.1, the same engaging the lower m0 after the ele- 5,5

` weight to ratchetovelrthepawl 2e, but

'in itspat-h, tothlerebv actua! lease ity from engagement with the.v gate, against thepressure of the spring 1 8, soithatk the gate may be raised.

Pivoted intermediate its ends, at 23, is a second latch element 24, carried by the bell crank 19 the rearmost end of/the sa memovn ing in a. slot 25 provided for the' purposeinAv the bell crank 19, said latch, element1 lying flat against the bottom of said slot as a limit Step.. of .pivotal movement.. Taha latch, element may. betermredfaf-paivl, andahaatsor- Ward end extended thi. .ugh an opening. 26 ofthe, wall structure otthe` elevatori shatt,

.i :andinto the.. path Ot travel: Qfthe krateheted! counterweight Asthe weight moves down.-` wardly in itspockethe pair/1241 will freely ratchet over the teeth, when thepawlgis in its operative position shown in Fie- 3, butA any, upward, movement ot said weightwill be prevented, 'asthe pa,w1;w ill. interlock witvhthe teeth, the weightd of; the gate. (fingadditionto. the pressure of the-positive.gate-return mech anism lnot 'yet chescribed) vforcing the.: pawl against its seat at thebottom ofi-the 'slot 25 in the base member 11.A

The bellcranllever 19 mva`ur`- be provided' withV an anti-friction roller 2T, engageable with. proj ection 28` carriedV by the` elevator 'carf29 The length of the cam vor-projection t 28 mayy beas desired, depending ril/ionjust` how much diie-rence `between elevator car floor and landing floor 1s to be permitted. The longer the cam, surface 28, the'grea will be the permissible distance between landing Hoor andelevator `car door, Y

The operationE of the mecha-,msm is ver? simple, and is.br1el-y as lfolio Then the'car is distant fromithe floor, the Y latch 12 will hold the gategagainsh being raised. the'car moves to lgthe floor, the cam` 28 will, engage therol 2T extending Y lie bellfcranl; lever vtorelease thelatch 12 and move tl e latch 24 into the path of the counterweight)V Lifting the gate permits the 'teeth o vents upwlardmoven'ient oit the weight by interlockingA with'the pawl, to thereby: maintain the gate in its raised position while he car isat the floor level. As soonV asgthe car leaves thetloor, the kcam vwill. move away -irom the roller, thespring whining' the imitate.

tlieirioriginal, position, andl permitting the gate toedrop'into itsnormal position latched against upward movement.

Inx order to canse a more positive action in lowering the gates to normalA position, I`

have provided a. projection 5G .positioned above-the gate, inthepath of travel thereof,

so as to be engageable therewith, the upward movement` ot' the part 30 being against the pressure of a spring 31, connected thereto. The member 30 may comprise the rod having the elongated portion 32 about which the spring 31 is wound, the latter being secured at i'tslower end, said rod being bent JforwardlyV at itsupper end to Jorm the proj ection to be engaged by the gate. A slot 33 is providedto form a gnideway for the projection 30, this slot being provi-ded in a `casingllrfor the spring and rod, and the action of the-return device is as follows:

. The gatemust belifted to uppermost position against t ie tension of the spring 31, and is heldin thatJ posit-ionuby thelatch 24. As soon as. the car moves past the floor, the latch 24 isV thrown out of engagement with the.

counterweight by the Aaction of the spring-1S,

and the spring tension acting on the projection 30 orcesthe gate downwardly to snapwit past-thelatch 12,. rih-e tension` ot thespringv 31;V and the size oi" the counterweights maybeadjusted as desired and iound most suit;- able. e Y

From the foregoing description it will be seen that l have invented ay safety de vicefor controlling 'the movement of elevator gates, in which the gates will` be doubly locked againstmovement 1n both directions, and, inl

which the'gate will be positivelyv returned to normal. position after the elevator moves away fromthe floor. f

It is`r obvious that Avariou immaterial changes andmodilications Vmay be made in the construction just described;vhence Iwish it, to be, understood that such changesV may be madepwitliout,departing fromr the spirit.

oifmy invention andthat lam not limitedjto the. exact construction, karrangement and combination ot parts; herein shown and.v described, eitcept as limited by the claims. y i i lVhat I; claimas new.y and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i i u i n 1. In adevicevv of the.lrindzdescribed andin combination with an elevator gate,me ans to lock said gate against movement in one di,

rection ot. its travel, means to locksaidin the opposits"directionv oiiits. travel, and,Y a singlemeans controlled by the movement of. theelevator to release, oneoic saidflocking means. :tromdtslocking position andA set the other ofl said means, into lockingposition. I

A controlk mechanism for the verticallyy movable gates for elevato comprising means normally lockingr` the gate against up ward movement whilev the elevator is at a point distant therefrom, separate means v'to lock said gate against loweringmovement, and asingle means vactuated bythe elevator to release said'hist-mentioned locking means Y -i. 1 g and set the other loclnngmeans 1n unison therewithinto operatively'Vv locking position.1 3. A saiety. device forelevator gates, com-V prising a pair o1 locking means `Valternately movable therewith into locking engageable-to lock said gatefagainst movement in mutually opposite directions, and a single control means for said pair of locking means` and adapted to be controlled by engagement with the elevator.

4. A mechanism of the kind described and in combination, comprising a vertically movable elevator gate having a weight thereon, a latch normally engageable withsaid gate to lock it against upward movement, a second latch normally out of engagement with said weight but movable into engagement therewith to lock the gate against lowering movement after having beenV raised, and a lever controlled by the movement of the elevator tor actuating both of said latches. l

Weight against upward movement while permitting downward movement of the same.V f

' 10. In combination with an elevator gate,l i

upward movement, a single means controlled 4 vby the movement of thefelevator kfor operating both of said means inv unison, and a spring-pressed means engageable with saidgate while the latter is in raised positiomfor positively actuating said gate to lowermost position as the elevator lmoves away from lock-controlling means.

y ALBERT NELL.

5. A safety device of the kind described, comprising a slidable elevator gate carrying a ratchet weight, a latch normally engageable withl said gate to lock itfagainst movement in one directioma second latch engageable with said weight to lock the gate against lowering movement but permit lifting thereof, and alever controlled by the movement of the elevator for actuating both of said v latching means in unison.

in combination with an elevator gate, comprising a latch element movable into and out of locking engagement with said gate, a weight connected to s aid gate, a pawl element movable into and out of locking engagement with said weight to permit movement of the gate in one direction, and a bell-crank lever engageable with the elevator for actuating both of said locking means.v

7 A safety devicefor elevator gates having a counterweight thereon, comprising a rlatch element movableinto locking engagement with the gate, a bell-crank lever engageable by the elevator for actuating said latch element, and arpawl on said lever and engagement with said counterweight. l

8. A safety mechanism for elevator gates,

.l comprising a spring-pressed latch normally in vengagement with lsaid gate to prevent movement in one direction, alever operable by said elevator for controlling saidlatch, and a second latch element on said lever and operable to prevent movement of the gate in the opposite direction after permitting its movementin the first-mentioned direction.

9. In combination with a vertically movable elevator gate having a ratcheted counterweight thereon, a lever mounted adjacent f said gate in the path of travel of theelevator to be actuated thereby, a latch element normally in locking engagement with said gate to prevent lift-ing thereof and actuated by said lever to release said locking engagement, and a pawl pivotedintermediate its ends onV said lever and movable intoV engagement withA said ratchet teeth of the counterweight upon Y actuation of the lever to lock said counter- 'til 

